Russia Trip Report, Twenty-Four Hr Current 5: Peterhof

DAY 5, July 31, 2012:

DAY TRIP TO PETERHOF:

We took the tube from Ploshchad Vosstaniya to Baltisky at 8AM, crossed over to the railway station, Went to the Prigorodni Kassa as well as bought obratno (return) tickets to ‘NOVYJ PETERHOF’.

How to read the Russian prepare website:

On http://www.tutu.ru/spb/ it is slow to run across the schedule of trains available from Petersburg to the goal of our choice. Though the site is inward Russian, it is quite user friendly for a non Russian similar me alongside only a rudimentary grasp of the cyrillic alphabet.

www.tutu.ru/spb/rasp.php…

is the link I got past times putting inward Новый Петергоф (NOVYJ PETERHOF’) inward the arrival slot,

I clicked inward Санкт-Петербург for the 1st slot of departure---already available on the link… this has given me today’s available trains every bit y'all tin honor past times the date.. nosotros tin topographic point inward our existent go appointment of course of education inward the tertiary slot when planning a journey. Schedules demo some timings are pertinent to working days по рабочим as well as some are daily ежедневно. Note that in that location are no trains inward this route from 10.30—13…

All available trains seem when I give the 2 inputs as well as when I click on the fourth dimension I prefer, I larn the schedule for that train…say,

www.tutu.ru/spb/view.php…

For our electrical current trip to Peterhof, our options are trains to Oranienbaum 1 (Ораниенбаум 1), Kalische (Калище), Lebyazhye (Лебяжье) or straight to Novyj Peterhof ( Новый Петергоф). They hold back at the platform as well as ane tin larn inward checking the destination. We had the schedule for all dissimilar destinations. The prepare to Oranienbaum 1 was waiting at the platform as well as nosotros got in. We verified the stations from the schedules nosotros had printed out as well as got out at the right station...

Here nosotros are...On the suburban prepare from Baltisky Vokzal to Peterhof 30km (19 miles) W of St. Petersburg...

There are trains to Oranienbaum 1 (Ораниенбаум 1), Kalische (Калище), Lebyazhye (Лебяжье) or straight to Novyj Peterhof ( Новый Петергоф). We took the 1st ane as well as verified the stations from the schedules nosotros had printed out from www. tutu.ru...

The prepare was real clean, had polished gleaming wooden seats, large windows as well as a few Russians commuting on their business concern … they sat quietly reading the paper patch nosotros excitedly read all the boards at the stations the prepare called …it was a affair of pride to run across our printed schedule from the website matching the boards as well as our conception on paper translating into reality.

(A lilliputian greenback on the assist nosotros got from google chrome here-- I use http://translate.google.com/ and write inward the cry inward English linguistic communication as well as larn the Russian version when needed…. … also google chrome browser offers the translation service, then later on getting the schedule, nosotros larn the Eng version also to cheque if nosotros are reading the Russian version right--- but sometimes the English linguistic communication version translates the words leading to unintended comedy…we don’t demand to know what a station’s cry agency inward English—just demand the existent Russian cry but the interpret service does its project literally!!)

It was a small ride of xl minutes through overnice solid reason side to accomplish our destination.... as well as our goal was the tenth station later on Красные Зори– the English linguistic communication version past times google translates to scarlet dawn—not only the pronunciation nosotros await for inward this detail context ..

Quite enterprising as well as smart of us to negotiate this trip on our own....the damage was only 42 rubles per provide ticket. Most other tourists accept the H2O buses from the pier inward forepart of the wintertime palace as well as larn charged M rubles for ane way trip...the provide is discounted at 700 ruble. we didn’t remove heed the accuse but these ferries root from Petersburg exclusively later on 9.

We reached the novel Peterhof station earlier ix am, Scanned the barcode of our prepare ticket inward the electronic turnstile at the railway station as well as got out. There was no ane on the road.

H5N1 marshrutka with large sign ‘ФОНТАНЫ’ which agency ‘fountains’ came past times as well as dropped a few people at the station. We got inward but were told to go out as well as cross the route .

We took a omnibus that stopped on the foursquare inward forepart of the prepare station... 26 rubles per ticket... Numbers nosotros could remove maintain got into are 350, 351, 352, 356. Fifth halt was ours – Peterhof Parks.

Entered the Upper Garden --a pretty baroque "formal garden" which separates the Grand Palace from the St. Petersburg-bound highway... every bit tin last seen, the statues are inward demand of renovation

Peterhof is an Imperial estate, founded inward 1710 past times Peter the Great on the shore of the Gulf of Republic of Finland (Baltic Sea). It combines several ornate palaces, a disclose of beautifully landscaped parks as well as a dazzling array of magnificent statues as well as fountains, lending it the epithet "The Russian Versailles".

Upper Park(Верхний сад Verkhniĭ sad):

This surface area forms the solid reason approach to the ensemble. Originally, the upper common was functional: vegetables were grown as well as ponds were stocked alongside fish for the royal kitchen

By the middle of the 18th century, however, it became to a greater extent than similar a formal garden. The paths of the upper common are decorated alongside statues as well as arbored trellises.

The surface area was extensively damaged during the High German trouble inward the early on 1940s., awesome project has been done at renovation... Visiting the upper common is free. Covers an surface area of xv hectares..

We had the whole common almost to ourselves except for a few gardeners as well as the safety guards....the vantage for getting upwards at five am as well as boarding an early on train...interestingly, in that location are no trains coming inward this route from 10--12 am on weekdays.. then if ane misses to board a prepare earlier 10, in that location volition last a delay...

From the upper common nosotros saw groups alongside guides getting into the Bolshoi Palace. had a rude daze when the officials said the palaces were shut for individuals on that day... talked to a High German guide but she could non allow us bring together her group. their tickets had already been bought

We went to the gate, bought tickets for the lower garden as well as decided to bask the fountains which are anyway the best characteristic of Peterhof.

Nowhere inward our extensive question had it been mentioned that the palace volition last shut for individuals on some days... nosotros felt it was real unfair...we consoled ourselves that nosotros could run across meliorate palaces on the coming 2 days...with this decision, nosotros arrived at the lower park

Again had the whole gardens to ourselves, The fountains were to last ceremoniously started at 11am as well as nosotros had a expert ane hr to bask the ambience..

The channel seen hither is connected to the Gulf of Finland--the Baltic Sea

The weather condition was cloudy alongside a threat of pelting but thankfully in that location were exclusively real low-cal drizzles thru the day. It was ideal weather condition for walking around...

Lower Park (Нижний парк--nizhni park):

Lower gardens is 2 miles long as well as nearly 1/2 mile broad alongside some 160 fountains as well as endless disclose of sculptures inward it. hours of walking in that location to create justice.

Lower Parks were set along the lines of the suburban residence of the French King Louis XIV at Versailles

Architectural-planning pump of the complex is the Grand Palace . It stands on a 16-meter ledge ...in forepart is the two-kilometer narrow ribbon of Direct Line Sea Canal (Morskoi Kanal),from the Grand Palace to the Gulf of Republic of Finland bisecting the common into 2 almost equal parts: the eastern as well as western. On both sides spread large blossom beds....

The Grand Cascade hither is modelled on ane inward Louis XIV's Château de Marly, which is replicated inward ane of the park's outbuildings.

At the centre of the cascade is an artificial grotto alongside 2 stories, faced within as well as out alongside hewn dark-brown stone. It currently contains a minor museum of the fountains' history. One of the exhibits is a tabular array carrying a bowl of (artificial) fruit, a replica of a similar tabular array built nether Peter's direction. The tabular array is rigged alongside jets of H2O that soak visitors when they accomplish for the fruit, a characteristic from Mannerist gardens that remained pop inward Germany. The grotto is connected to the palace higher upwards as well as behind past times a hidden corridor

Before the ceremonial root of the centre fountains, nosotros explored the eastward side as well as establish the fountains in that location had started at 10am...

Huge crowd had gathered past times 11am as well as the centre fountains were started ane past times ane alongside music as well as fanfare...

Samson fountain:

In the 1730s, the large Samson Fountain was placed inward this pool. It depicts the 2nd when Samson tears opened upwards the jaws of a lion, representing Russia's victory over Sweden inward the Great Northern War, as well as is doubly symbolic. The Panthera leo is an chemical constituent of the Swedish coat of arms, as well as ane of the swell victories of the state of war was won on St Samson's Day.

From the lion's rima oris shoots a 20-metre-high vertical jet of water, the highest inward all of Peterhof. To brand the jet rising every bit high every bit possible, a particular wooden pipeline, over iv kilometres long, was laid. In 1736 the whole piece of job was completed as well as the outflow spurted a powerful water-jet ...This masterpiece past times Mikhail Kozlovsky was looted past times the invading Germans during the Second World War; H5N1 replica of the statue was installed inward 1947

Models inward onetime violet costumes accuse 100rubles for a pic alongside them...28rubles=1US$ (2012)...

Dominicus fountain.

H5N1 disk radiating H2O jets from its border creates an epitome of the sun's rays, as well as the whole construction rotates nearly a vertical axis then that the management inward which the "sun" faces is constantly changing....This original as well as technically complex outflow is located adjacent to the palace of Monday Plaisir.

In 1724 on the orders of Peter I this outflow was made alongside 12 jets arched roughly a key column of H2O rising to the surface of the H2O basin. The pedestal of the outflow is placed on a cycle driven past times water. This turbine inward plow rotates a pillar, on overstep of which in that location are disks alongside holes. H2O escaping from the jet is reminiscent of the divergent rays of the sun. ..

Sabbatum hither for 10 minutes till a guard came as well as said politely inward accented English...I'm sorry, delight stand!! ... non ane fleck rude every bit Russians are portrayed inward all reports on the internet

Destroyed during World War II, the outflow was completely restored inward 1957

There are some fox fountains...Two accept the shape of gangly trees rigged alongside jets that activate when someone approaches. ...Another, disguised every bit an umbrella alongside a circular bench set roughly the stem, drops a drapery of H2O from its rim when someone enters to accept a seat....kids as well as adults remove maintain fun alongside these..

Had our packed tiffin later on getting soaked at the fox fountains...

On the territory of the Lower Park, which occupies 112.5 hectares, in that location are viii palaces as well as pavilions. In the eastern percentage of the common - the palace of "Mon Plaisir", Eastern as well as Western Aviary, museums, "Catherine Ward", "Bath building." In the western percentage of the common - the palace of "Marley," Pavilion "Hermitage" as well as the museum "The Imperial yacht.

Roamed roughly the grounds as well as enjoyed the 160 fountains as well as the greenery.

Only annoyance was the fact they had exclusively temp toilets which were stinking as well as then nosotros could non utilisation them. We got out inward the eve when nosotros were done alongside the gardens.

This is a beautiful church building straight contrary the upper common entrance. After a see inside, boarded a omnibus to the railway station as well as arrived at the same platform nosotros had got off inward the morning.

We figured nosotros remove maintain to cross to the other side to larn inward the contrary management dorsum to ST Petersburg. Asked a Russian gentleman as well as he explained alongside real eloquent gestures inward Russian that nosotros had to larn left, accept a subway to cross to the other side. We did so, boarded the prepare dorsum to Petersburg....

We went to our hotel, wore some other layer every bit the solar daytime had been pretty mutual depression temperature as well as took a omnibus to river Fontanka ... ferries ply all solar daytime from in that location offering rides

Cruise on Neva River:

Enjoying an Evening boat ride on the Neva river... it was a pretty mutual depression temperature ride as well as inward terms of beauty, Moscow boat ride did seem better.

H5N1 lensman had clicked us at the root as well as when nosotros landed later on an hour, he showed us 4 overnice ceramic saucers painted alongside Petersburg landmarks which tin last used every bit refrigerator magnets alongside our pictures inward the middle. ... how clever of him.